The Boy Who Cried Kyuubi!
by LeisaTheGreat
Summary: Sasuke has witnessed a lot messed up stuff in his time. Particularly the murder of his entire clan, by the hand of his own brother. However, nothing has disturbed him quite as much as seeing his best friend snarling and growling like a rabid animal, bent on murder. So now, Sasuke is determined to find out why Naruto seemed to occasionally lose control of himself. *SEQUEL*
1. Rememberance

_**The Boy Who Cried Kyuubi**_

_**A/N: Here you go! This is the sequel to 'The Boy Who Cried Sasuke'! Fun Fact: Did you know that the title of this story is the original title to the prequel? XD But I changed it because the Fox wasn't a big part of the original. Anyway, this takes place a few weeks after the first story. (Post-chunin exams). ENJOY! (PS, this is my first story with Sasuke as the main character so let me know what you think of his charatcer so far.)**_

_**Chapter One**_

He was exhausted. It was just one of those annoyingly hot days in the Hidden Leaf Village that _should_ make any person, in their right mind, just want to go home and take a nap...should. But, of course, it couldn't be that easy with Naruto Uzumaki around.

Even though Kakashi, himself, had offered to let his students have the day off, Naruto had whined and moaned so loudly about it, that eventually, they gave up. And off to the training grounds they went.

You know, it was times like this that Sasuke wondered why he'd gone after that little moron when he'd dissapeared a few weeks earlier. Technically, if he'd left it alone, that pest would have _died_ and Sasuke would be home in the air conditioning right now.

But _no_. That would be wrong, now wouldn't it? Sometimes, he really hated that conscience of his...

Currently, the blonde annoyance was standing across the training field, chatting mindlessly with his other teammate, Sakura. She seemed to be scolding him for something, but only half-heartedly so. The heat must be getting to her too.

Sasuke wasn't really listening to their conversation, so he doesn't know what had caused Naruto to suddenly burst out laughing. A little grin tugs at the corner of Sasuke's lips. Sure, Naruto was annoying and loud and goofy and immature...but he was still Sasuke's friend. Probably his best friend. So, when the little knucklehead had suddenly dissapeared without trace, it worried the Uchiha to no end.

And, to make things worse, Sasuke was the one to find him. And Naruto was in less than ideal condition, at that point. Just the thought of all that blood sent a shudder down his spine, despite the heat.

But, what really disturbed the raven, was what happened after that...

_**-xXx- **_

_Eiji's knife sinks into the ground, under the puddle of blood Naruto had left. Except... "What the...?" He turns around. Where was Naruto?_

_ Something catches him by the back of the neck, slamming him to the ground. Eiji's heart stops for a split second. What was happening?!_

_ Sasuke stares in shock at the bloodied, battered form of his best friend. Crouched over top of his enemy with his face twisted into an expression of fury._

_ "Naru...to?"_

_ "AGH! LET GO OF ME!" Eiji shouts as he squirms, furiously, beneath Naruto. "GET OFF ME!" But his pleas were hopeless. Naruto, obviously, wasn't planning on releasing him anytime soon... Instead, the blonde begins to put pressure on his arm which was twisted behind his back, threatening to pop it out of joint...or break it. Immediately, the other boy's shouts go silent. His body going very still._

_ "Naruto..." Sasuke says, standing upright again. "What are you..."_

_ "AHH!" Eiji cries out in pain as Naruto gives his arm a sudden jerk, but not quite hard enough to snap the bone._

_ Sasuke steadies himself and takes a small step forward. "Naruto." He says. "Okay, that's enough. He's not gonna fight us anymore. There's no reason to-" _

_ SNAP!_

_ "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

_**-xXx-**_

__Sasuke flinches away from the rest of the memory, not wanting to relive the image of Eiji howling in pain as the bone is snapped. Or the morbid laughter that escapes Naruto's throat afterward.

The Uchiha's eyes scan Naruto's face. Bright, sunny and happy. Like normal. Not even a hint of the darkness that had surfaced before. He finds himself frowning, deeply. _Naruto...what happened to you back there?_

As if the other boy had read his mind, Naruto glances over at Sasuke. His expression was suddenly blank, unreadable. There was just the tiniest hint of curiosity in his eyes. But then-

Naruto scowls at him from across the field. "Huh? What're you staring at, Teme?" He shouts, loudly. "You got a problem?"

Sasuke narrows his eyes. God, he hated it when he was loud like that! "Hn, don't flatter yourself, moron. I wasn't staring at you."

"Tsk! Yeah you were!" Naruto counters with a roll of his eyes.

"No I wasn't!" Sasuke barks, angrily.

"Oh great..." Sakura sighs, folding her arms. "Here we go again."

Just then, Kakashi drops down from his spot in a tree, landing between the bickering boys. "Alright, that's enough. Knock it off you two." He sends both of them a warning glare before digging his 'Come Come Paradise' novel from his pouch and turning away. "Since there seems to be no more training anymore, why don't you three call it a day?"

Naruto groans, loudly but doesn't argue.

"Hn, I'll be glad to get away from here." Sasuke grumbles to himself. Because, suddenly, he forgot why he'd saved Naruto in the first place. And was really starting to consider killing the idiot, himself. He needed space. Now.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" Sakura calls after him, in sad voice. "Now look what you did, Naruto! You made him mad!" She hisses.

"Pff! Serves him right-OW!"

_**-xXx-**_

__There was nothing but darkness inside the small house when Sasuke slid his front door open. He momentarily hesitates on the threshold, reluctant to go inside and be alone again. He had that feeling again...

The Uchiha boy's hand moves to his neck. He could still feel that freak's teeth sinking into his flesh. Ever since the Forest of Death...he got an eerie feeling whenever he was alone. Like he wasn't _really_ alone anymore. He feared going into the dark room...almost like, if he let the darkness swallow him, he might never emerge.

Sasuke shakes his head, furiously. _Knock it off, Sasuke. _He tells himself. _You've never been afraid of the dark! And I don't plan on starting now._ So he forces himself to enter his home, despite the chills. Just like he had every night for about a week now.

However, he makes sure to flick on the lights before closing the door behind him. _Hmm...this reminds of..._ Sasuke groans and runs a hand through his hair. Why did he always have to get so sentimental when he remembered those things?! Uchihas don't get sentimental...right? Right! But still...

_Naruto is alone too, isn't he? _ Sasuke could still remember the shock he felt when he and Sakura had gone to Naruto's apartment to look for him. They'd heard he'd been checked out of the hospital and thought he'd gone home. Only to find out they'd gotten there before him. _His apartment was almost worse than this place._ He tells himself.

Sasuke lowers his gaze as he enters his bedroom and flops onto the bed. _Naruto...lately, it feels like there's a lot I don't know about you..._ Propping himself on his elbows, Sasuke stares at the ceiling. His eyes tighten. _But there's one thing I'm certain of. _

_I need to know what happened to you back by the river. I need to know why you were acting so...not-Naruto. And I'm gonna find out._


	2. Unbeknownst

_**Chapter Two**_

_**A/N: Okaaaay...not sure if I like this chapter. I DON'T like how I had to, kind of, make Sakura a jerk in this one. (Just because that's how she genuinely acts at this point in the timeline.) But ya' know. You gotta do what you gotta do when writing someone else's character.**_

"Okay, guys. Today's lesson is a little more on chakra manipulation." Kakashi says. The Jounin continues to explain the process to his students but, it seems, only Sakura is paying attention.

As usual, Naruto is staring off into space. A dissatisfied pucker to his lips, showing his eagerness to just get to it already. After all, how hard could this be?

And, on the other side of the team's only girl member, Sasuke shifts his weight. He, too, doesn't look content with Kakashi's lecture. But training was the last thing of the Uchiha's mind. The raven's black eyes kept flicking past Sakura and landing on Naruto. _Hm...still nothing._ He lets out a small sigh and shifts his weight again. For once, it was Sasuke who felt restless. For the past two days, he'd been keeping a very close eye on Naruto, hoping to catch wind of something, _anything_ to hint at what had caused Naruto to go beserk the other week.

But nothing. Absolutely no-thing!

Naruto was just as bubbly and outgoing as always. There was no inkling of what had caused him to nearly kill Eiji. And, maybe that's what had disturbed Sasuke the most. The idea that, whatever this was, was living inside Naruto, and that no one had an idea about it, was almost scary. It sent chills down his spine to even think about it.

_This is going to drive me crazy._ Sasuke decides with a silent huff.

"Alright, get to it." Kakashi tells them.

"Yes sir!" Sakura says and hurries off to start her training.

"Hm." Naruto grins and also takes off. Apparently, he'd heard a little of what Kakashi had said.

However... Sasuke remains where he was. His eyes locked on the ground in a blank stare. Obviously he was still far away in thought.

"-suke?"

"Huh?" He snaps back to reality at the sound of his friend's voice.

Naruto was standing a few feet away, his arms folded. He was staring, curiously at Sasuke. "What's the matter with you, Teme?" The blonde grumbles. "The ground really isn't that fascinating, you know?"

"Uh..." Sasuke shakes his head. For some reason, his mind just wasn't into training today. He was far too preoccupied with his little mystery. "Shut up...Dobe." Still trying to work through his muddled brain, he adds, "Don't you think I know that?"

"Hm?" Naruto tilts his head, as if trying to Sasuke from a different angle. _What's up with him?_ He wonders.

_**-xXx-**_

___Maybe I should just ask him..._ Sasuke muses as he molds his chakra. Luckily for him, today's training required lots of quiet. And that meant, pleanty of space for thinking. He frowns and shakes his head, slightly. _No, I'd never get a straight answer out of that doofus. Especially if this is as serious as I think it is... Besides, what would I say? 'Oh hey Naruto, I was wondering why you tried to rip that rogue ninja's arm off when you were, supposedly, bleeding to death?' No way._

"Ugh, Naruto! What did I tell you five seconds ago?! If you're going to ask for my advice, then don't just ignore it the very next time!" Sakura snaps at him before sighing and going back to molding her own chakra. Her voice was a little gentler when she says, "Just relax and focus on your chakra. It will do what you tell it to."

"Hmm...yeah but I'm not really getting anything..." Naruto mumbles. His brow was creased with strain. Unbeknownst to his teammates, there was a subtle aching in his stomach. One he barely noticed, but was there, none-the-less. Ever since they were attacked by Orochimaru during the Chunin Exams...

"Well...maybe if you try this." Sakura suggests as she strides over to him.

_I doubt Sakura knows anything, if my theory is right. But... _Sasuke straightens up. _I guess it can't hurt to ask her. _"Sakura," He calls.

The pink haired girl straightens up and turns to look at him. Her face immediately lights up. "Yes, Sasuke-kun?" She asks in that Godforsaken flirty voice of hers.

"Uh, can I talk to you for a minute?" He grumbles, under his breath.

She literally gasps. "Um y-yes! Of course!" The young kunoichi is by his side in a flash. "What is it, Sasuke-kun?"

He sighs. "Can we talk _in private_?"

_Oh my God..._ Sakura nods, furiously. "Y-yeah!"

The two of them hurry away from the training grounds, leaving Kakashi and Naruto looking very confused. And, in Naruto's case, like he might kill Sasuke if he makes a move on Sakura.

_**-xXx-**_

__"So, Sasuke-kun..." The rosette toys with a lock of her bubblegum hair, smiling sweetly. "You had something you wanted to talk about?"

**CHA! It's about time! Come on, Sasuke, ask me out already! **Inner Sakura screams, excitedly.

"Yeah..." The Uchiha's expression was stoic, as usual. There was a steely glint in his eyes, that Sakura loved. "Have you noticed something strange about Naruto lately?"

"...huh?" Suddenly, Sakura felt like a balloon that had just deflated. "Um...no. Not really..." She sighs. "Why?"

**GAH! WHY IS ALWAYS ABOUT THAT IDIOT NARUTO?!**

"There's something weird about him." Sasuke mutters. "I hadn't noticed it until recently but...there's definately something abnormal going on."

"Huh?" Sakura perks up at the idea. "What're you talking about, Sasuke-kun?"

He bows his head. _So she doesn't know either, huh?_ "A few weeks ago, when Naruto ran off...something weird happened."

"Like...what?" She asks, coming a little closer. As if the gossip drew her in.

Sasuke hesitates. Did he really want to go around telling people this if he didn't know what it was? Finally, he decides he could probably trust Sakura not to go around blabbing to everyone. Probably. "He was badly hurt, as you know. He shouldn't have been able to move at all...but..."

_But what?! BUT WHAT?!_ Sakura urges, silently. Her inner gossip-hound was beginning to kick in.

"All of a sudden, he just...got up. And attacked Eiji, that rogue ninja. I really thought, for a minute, that he was gonna..." Sasuke's face hardens. "I thought he was gonna kill him."

"Ah..." Sakura's eyes widen. "Wh...what?"

Sasuke doesn't respond.

"Sasuke-kun...Naruto's kinda reckless and stupid sometimes but...he'd never just kill someone for no reason...he's not like that..." She insists. "Maybe...maybe you didn't see it right or-"

"Didn't see it right?!" Sasuke snaps. "Naruto was sitting on top of him, twisting his arm behind his back! He broke the guys arm with _one hand_ and started _laughing_ about it!"

Sakura recoils. "No way..." _No way Naruto did that._

"It's true."

"So...you think maybe...Naruto has some kind of secret or something? Is that what you're getting at?" She asks, numbly.

"Yeah...there's definately something up. That's not the Naruto I know."

"Definately not...so...do you need any help or...?" Sakura hesitates. She wasn't really sure if she wanted to know. After all, maybe Sasuke really _had_ misunderstood what he saw. No way Naruto was cruel like that.

"No. I'll figure it out on my own." He tells her.

"How?"

He pauses. _Kakashi didn't seem surprised when he saw._ He reminds himself. "I'm gonna ask Kakashi about it. I think he might know what's going on."

"Okay..."

As Sasuke begins to walk back in the direction of the training field, Sakura hurries up beside him. A crease in her brow. "Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn?"

"If you do figure it out...could you..." She hesitates, not wanting to sound like a wimp in front of her crush. "Keep it to yourself?"

"What?"

"It's just...I'd like to think you misunderstood it. And, if it is bad, whatever it is...I'd rather not know. Honestly..."

The raven stares at her in shock. "Uh, yeah. Don't worry about it, I'm sure it's nothing..."

She smiles, gratefully. "Thanks."

_**A/N: Yeah, weird way to end a chapter I know. But it was getting kind of long and I wanted to update before I had to work on other things so...ENJOY! **_


	3. Plan B

_**Chapter Three**_

_**A/N: Hey guys :) Sorry about no update for a few days. (I was weirdly busy getting stuff for school) Anway, ENJOY! :D**_

"Kakashi."

The Jounin glances away from the page of his novel and looks down to the ground, where Sasuke was standing below his spot in the tree. The dark haired boy's arms were folded in a way that meant he needed to talk.

Kakashi nods and drops to the ground beside him. "What is it?"

"I need to talk to you about something." He says, glancing sideways at Sakura.

"About her?"

"No." Sasuke motions for Kakashi to follow him and his teacher obeys. The young ninja leads him toward the woods, far away from the field where the other two were training again. Though, with less momentum as before.

Sakura now seemed distracted, ever since Sasuke had led her away to talk as well. And Naruto was very curious about why Sasuke was pulling them off to the side to talk.

Eventually, Sasuke deems the distance far enough. No way Naruto could hear what they were talking about.

"What's this about, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha bows his head. _Kakashi obviously knows what's going on...he wasn't surprised to see Naruto like that. So, whatever is going on, I can get it from him._ "Kakashi," Sasuke says, slowly. As if he were tasting the man's name. "Something strange happened a few weeks ago."

"Oh?" He seemed so innocent.

"Back when Naruto ran off." The younger ninja clarifies.

Kakashi remains silent, his coal black eyes locked on Sasuke's.

"He was bleeding to death, Kakashi. He shouldn't have been able to move at all...and yet...seconds later, he was up and fighting like there was nothing wrong. He broke Eiji's arm and _laughed_ about it!" The raven's face was intense with emotion. He _needed_ answers. "You know what that was. Don't you?" It was less of a question and more of an accusation. "You know what's going on with him."

Kakashi sighs, shifting his weight to his other leg. "Yes, I know."

Sasuke almost recoils. _That was too easy._ "So?!"

The Jounin shrugs and turns away. "But I can't tell you." With no further hesitation, he strolls away back toward the training field. Leaving Sasuke dumbfounded and furious.

"WHAT?!" He barks, angrily.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi snaps, suddenly. "Just forget about it."

"Huh?"

"Trust me, we've got it under control so it's not important."

"Got _what_ under control?!" He demands but recieves no response from his teacher.

_**-xXx-**_

__That evening, Sasuke is walking home. His hands shoved into his pockets and a scowl on his face. To anyone who didn't know him personally, but had seen him around before, it would look like his normal unhappy expression. But to Naruto, who had known Sasuke almost longer (and better) than anyone, it was obvious there was something up.

"Hey, Sasuke!" The blonde calls out of nowhere.

Sasuke stops and waits for him to catch up. "What is it, Dobe?"

Naruto ignores the casual usage of the insult. After all, it was more like a nickname now. Still, he growls a little to show his irritation with Sasuke's rudeness. "What's up with you, Teme?" He asks, making sure to use his own insulting nickname. "You're acting weird lately."

_Tsk, I'm acting weird? _The dark haired boy shrugs, casually and says, "Nothing."

Naruto frowns but doesn't push any further. Except for a small, "You sure?" Which earns him a half-hearted nod from his teammate. The blonde boy sighs and runs a hand through his scruffy hair before turning and walking away. "See ya later, then." He mumbles.

_**-xXx-**_

__As Sasuke pushes open his front door, he exhales. _We don't have practice tomorrow..._ He realizes, donning a small grin. _Fine. If Kakashi won't tell me what's going on, I'll just have to ask someone else. Surely, he can't be the only one who knows._

So the raven strides into his bedroom and plops onto the bed, content with his new plan. _I'll just ask everyone I can think of. Eventually, someone will tell me Naruto's secret!_

_**A/N: Sorry about such a short chapter. But the events after this will carry on toward the end so this was the best place to stop. Thanks for reading :D**_


	4. Eavesdrop

_**Chapter Four**_

"Iruka-sensei!" Sasuke charges across the pavement, toward the Academy. Seated on a bench, just outside the classroom door, Iruka glances up and offers a smile at his past student.

"Oh, hello Sasuke." He greets in a friendly voice. "It's been a while, hasn't it? I trust you're doing well with your new team?"

"Yeah, I guess." He replies, wearily. Truth be told, Sasuke had already been all over the Leaf Village. It was only noon and the, normally anti-social, boy had spoken with at least fifty different people. To say he was exhausted would be an understatement.

"You're all getting along alright?" Asks the scarred man.

Sasuke nods.

"Good, you have no idea how glad I am to hear-"

"Iruka." He interrupts him, coldly.

"Huh?"

"No offense but I didn't come here to chat." Says the younger boy.

"Oh, right." Iruka chuckles. "Excuse me, what did you need?"

Sasuke sighs and fidgets, almost nervously with the hem of his shirt. To date, he'd spoken with nearly everone he knew. Had asked them everything they'd allow about Naruto. No one had given him a straight answer. They either said they didn't know what he was talking about and quickly left or avoided the question entirely. "It's about Naruto." He mutters, under his breath.

"Oh...?" Iruka shifts to face him, his expression was now all business. "What about him?"

It was a well known fact that Iruka and Naruto had a special kind of bond. More than just the average student-teacher relationship. They were more like family. Iruka was almost the father-figure the young blonde never had. So, surely, whatever was going on with Naruto, Iruka must have some idea about it.

"He's been acting...odd lately." Sasuke begins, slowly.

"How so?" The teacher sounded suspicious, and rightfully so.

"A few weeks ago, he ran off."

"What?!"

"That's not the weird part." Sasuke snaps, feeling mildly irritated at the whole situation. "The weird thing was that, after we got attacked-"

"You WHAT!?"

"Iruka!" Sasuke barks, loudly. "Focus!"

Iruka mutters something under his breath. It was something like 'why wasn't I told about this?'. But he motions for Sasuke to continue.

"After we got attacked...Naruto was in...bad shape. He shouldn't have been able to move around much. In fact...he shouldn't have been able to get up at all."

Iruka flinches at the idea.

"Anyway, even after all he'd been through, he still...somehow...managed to get up. It was like, one second he was lying on the ground and then next, he was right in front of me. Kneeling on top of our enemy...with the guy's arm all twisted behind his back."

"Sasuke," Iruka says, suddenly. There was an odd look in his eyes. "You know how stubborn Naruto can be, maybe-"

"Let me finish."

Iruka frowns, feeling a little frusterated that Sasuke wouldn't let him talk.

"After that, I told Naruto to let him go because he was outnumbered and wouldn't fight us anymore. But..." Sasuke swallows. Even after all this time, the memory still gave him chills. "He broke the guy's arm anyway."

Iruka's eyes widen.

"And he...Naruto laughed about it. Iruka-sensei...do you have any idea what would cause him to act like that!? Like some kind of..."

"..._monster..._?"

_**-xXx-**_

__Naruto's body goes very stiff as the word leaves Sasuke's mouth. _So...that's what happened?_ _That's why Sasuke has been acting so weird lately?_ He felt sick. _Why didn't anyone tell me that happened?! _He demands, almost angrily. But, more than anything, he felt repulsed. At himself. _How could I let this happen?! And right in front Sasuke, no less..._

All he wanted to do was run. To get away from listening to that conversation that was beginning to make him physically ill. But he couldn't. Naruto was perched atop the Ninja Academy, hidden in the shadows to avoid detection. If he ran now, they'd see him.

So all he could do was sit there and wait for them to leave.

_**-xXx-**_

__"Iruka?" Sasuke steps forward, worried by his teacher's silence. "You know something. You've got to tell me."

The man sighs and shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I don't know what could cause that to happen..." It was a lie. And a bad one at that. Iruka knew exactly what had happened. _Could the Nine-tailed Fox's seal be weakening after all this time?! _He couldn't bare the thought of the demon being released onto the village again.

Not even mention what it could do to Naruto! He shuddered at the thought.

"Iruka!" Sasuke hisses. "Don't lie! You have to-"

"Sasuke." Iruka stands up and stretches. Trying his best to act casual. "I've got to get back to my class now. But don't worry, I'm sure it was nothing. Adrenaline can make you do crazy things when you're scared, you know? That's probably all it was."

And, with that, he dissapears back through the doors to the Academy. Like nothing ever happened. Leaving, a very confused and dazed, Sasuke behind. After a second of total silence, Sasuke swears loudly before stalking away from the Academy and dissapearing into a passing crowd.

_**-xXx-**_

__Naruto bows his head, burying it in his knees. He felt...odd. Panicked for no apparent reason. Sasuke would never figure it out. It was illegal for anyone to talk about it so no one would tell him. And, even Sasuke wasn't smart enough to piece it together on his own.

So...why did Naruto have such a bad feeling about this?


	5. Confrontation And Cofusion

_**Chapter Five**_

_**A/N: Wrote all this in 30 minutes! And at 9:30 at night too! Boo-ya! XD**_

"I don't get it!" Sasuke was pacing back and forth across his bedroom. His coal black eyes staring, thoughtfully, at the ground. _Why won't anyone tell me anything? _He wonders, silently. Strands of raven-colored hair fall over his face, tickling him in an annoying way. He swats them out of his face before continuing his rapid grumbles and pacing.

All throughout the previous days, the young Uchiha had been very busy. Over the course of half a week, he'd managed to ask just about everyone in the village. (Or, at least, those he knew of.) And, still, every single one of them had refused to give him his answer.

However, he had noticed something...interesting among the people he'd asked. Some of them, the adults or older villagers, seemed to be keeping something from him. Just like Iruka and Kakashi had. They obviously knew about Naruto but they simply wouldn't tell him. On the other hand, the younger villagers. Like Sakura. Honestly didn't know.

By that point, he had pretty well narrowed down that, whatever Naruto's secret was, it must be related to something that happened a long time ago. Otherwise, the kids his age would know as well. It was the only explination.

_What happened a long time ago? _ Sasuke found himself wondering. _Not much...the Leaf Village has been pretty peaceful for years._ He sighs, dramatically, before sinking into a chair in the corner of his room. And, for just a moment, he allows his brain to shut off. He pushes away all of those thoughts, just long enough to give his aching head a break.

Out of simple curiosity, he glances out the window overlooking one of the many bustling village streets. The crowds were thinning at this point of the evening, so it wasn't hard to pinpoint a flash of orange among them. Sasuke tilts his head, craning his neck to see what the bolt of color had been. He already had his suspicions.

And, surely enough, Naruto could be seen shuffling down the road. His head was bowed, making his face almost impossible to see. His shoulders were a bit slumped, as if he were trying _not_ to be seen. But that wasn't really Naruto's style. He _loved_ being the center of attention. The loud-mouthed blonde thrived on acceptance and exitement. So why was he moving like that? As if his mind was a million miles away...

Sasuke stands up and strolls to the door. Popping it open, he steps out onto the street. _Might as well go see what's bothering the knucklehead..._ He decides.

_**-xXx-**_

__As the raven slips, effortlessly, through the crowd, he begins to lose sight of Naruto. Without his vantage point, suspended above the ground, it was harder to keep track of him. So, with an irritated sigh, he leaps into the air. His feet landing, heavily on the rooftop of a nearby building.

But, for a small second, he still can't find Naruto.

_Why am I even doing this?! _He demands of himself. _It's not like the Dobe would ever tell me anything, anyway!_

Then, he spots that flash of color again and hurries to catch up with it.

_How would you know? _ A little voice asks him. _He's the only person you haven't asked yet. Who knows, he might tell you._

Sasuke frowns, deeply before shaking his head. "No way..." He says, out loud.

_**-xXx-**_

__Naruto listens to the sound of his sandles smacking the pavement as he trudges toward home. The monotonous sound echoed, hypnotically, through his ears, deepening his trance-like state. The boy's hands were stuffed into his pockets, his fingers toying mindlessly with a piece of lint.

_What's the matter with me...? _He wonders, tiredly. _Why am I getting so worked up over this? Sasuke will never figure it out...there's just no way. _

He suddenly stops walking, a deep frown was plastered on his sun-kisse face. He shakes his head, furiously, as if trying to shake the worries from his mind. Then, forcing himself to smile, he picks up his pace. Somehow, pretending he was happy often worked to make him less depressed at times like this. Maybe he was just fooling himself. And, maybe, some people wouldn't call that 'the right thing to do'. But it worked for him. So he'd keep pretending until it no longer did. After all, he'd spent the majority of his life wearing a fake smile, like a mask to hide his despair. Why stop now?

It was while the troubled teen was pondering these things, that a certain raven haired Uchiha suddenly appeared behind him. Sasuke's hand catches Naruto's shoulder, unexpectantly, causing the blonde to jump nearly out of his skin.

"Huh? Did I scare you?" Sasuke asks, dully.

And there went Naruto's fake smile, insantly replaced by a scowl. "Pff, no!" He huffs, yanking away from his friend's grasp. "I just...didn't expect you to suddenly show up out of no where." He mumbles.

"Hn." Sasuke shrugs and falls into step beside Naruto.

"So?" Naruto asks him. "What do you want, Teme?"

Sasuke narrows his eyes at Naruto. Why did he have to be such a nuisance all the time? Why couldn't he just be pleasant? "Nothing, really..." Sasuke grumbles in repsonse.

Naruto rolls his eyes and walks a bit faster, eager to be away from the source of his most recent stress. "Then leave me alone..."

"..." Sasuke stops following, taken aback by Naruto's words. They hadn't sounded...angry like they should have. Words like 'leave me alone' were meant to sound like the ending of an argument. Tense and acidic. But Naruto hadn't sounded like that. His voice sounded almost...betrayed. Like Sasuke had said something to hurt his feelings or break his trust. But Sasuke hadn't done anything like that, had he? Immediantely, his mind scans their last few conversations.

Sure, they'd aruged a few times. Called each other a few names but nothing more than usual...

Just then, it sinks in. Leaving Sasuke feeling torn and conflicted.

_He knows..._ Sasuke realizes. _He knows I'm trying to figure out his secret._


	6. No Sleep

_**Chapter Six**_

_**A/N: Does the panic attack seem out of place to you guys? I can't tell because it's 11pm -_- If so...sorry. Again, it's 11pm for a girl who's usually fast asleep by 9pm.**_

"Then leave me alone..." Naruto says, his voice breaking slightly.

Why? Why couldn't Sasuke just forget about what he saw? Why couldn't he just let it go?! Anger and frusteration burns in the pit of his stomach, mingling with a twinge of fear. In all, Naruto felt like his head might just explode if he didn't figure out how to relax. And soon.

But he couldn't really do that if Sasuke kept following him. He didn't really want to go home yet, after all, it was still early evening. But Naruto knew he needed sleep...or food or something. Anything to keep him from thinking about the small possibility that Sasuke might find out about the Fox.

_What will happen if he does?! _Naruto's pace quickens from a fast walk to a jog. The nervousness in his chest threatened to burn a hole straight through him. _Will he hate me too?_ No way. He couldn't handle that. Sasuke was one of his only friends. What would it be like to have Sasuke hate him too? They'd only just become friends...he couldn't let that bond just slip away... _He would tell Sakura-chan..._ His breaths were coming faster than normal, ragged and labored. _And she would hate me too..._ Now he was in a full-out sprint. But he'd stopped paying attention to where he was going a while ago. _I...I don't want to be alone again...!_

Somewhere deep in his mind, Naruto knew he was being irrational. No way Sasuke would figure it out. But good luck telling him that, now. The blonde was having a full-fledged panic attack at this point. His heart was hammering, painfully in his chest and his head felt swimmy. Black dots blossomed over his vision as his breathing rate refused to slow down. But despite his rapid air-intake, he felt like he was suffocating. Eventually, he staggers over to a wall and sinks to the ground, landing heavily to the floor of the alley he found himself in. How he'd gotten there, he couldn't remember.

All he knew now, was that he was extremely tired. And, even though he also knew he shouldn't just fall asleep in some random alley, he could no longer fight the weight of his eyelids.

His body slumps toward the ground as sleep consumes him.

_**-xXx-**_

__Sasuke rolls over in his bed. His eyes staring, blankly at the wall beside him. He glances at the clock. _Only 2 o'clock... _He'd been tossing and turning all night without one wink of sleep. And it was no mystery what had caused his restlessness. The same thing that had been plauging his mind for the majority of the week.

He flips over again, throwing the blankets off of himself and sighing in frusteration. He just wanted to rest. Was that really too much to ask? Once again, he allows himself a look at the clock. To his tired mind, it felt like it had been fifteen or twenty minutes. _Urrgg...2:04?_ At this rate, he was getting no where.

Finally, the groggy boy decides that laying there isn't helping him. He rolls off the matress and pads across the room before flopping onto the floor. He was leaning against the side of the bed now, and staring out the window. It wasn't often he couldn't sleep like this. But, when he ocassionally found rest eluding him, this was what he did. Usually, it ended up in either of two ways. He'd either fall asleep while staring, mindlessly out at the sleeping village. Or he'd simply stay awake and entertain himself this way.

However, as luck would have it, that didn't seem to the case this time. Instantly, Sasuke perks up. His attention immediately zeroing in on something. He finds himself glaring into the shadows, trying to make sense of it.

_What's he doing out there, at this time of night? _Sasuke wonders.

_**-xXx-**_

__"Nn..." Naruto reaches up, rubbing a knot from his shoulder. His entire body felt like he'd been sleeping on a rock. _Well...I sorta did._ He muses, sleepily. _That's what I get for falling asleep in an alley..._ For the life of him, he couldn't remember what had gotten into him. What had caused him to panic? He couldn't seem to recall...

All he knew, was that he felt a little better and was ready to go home and sleep the rest of the day. _We don't have practice today anyway..._

Suddenly, though-

"Naruto?"

_Kuso...what now?!_ Naruto turns around to face Sasuke, who was eyeing him suspiciously. Naruto doesn't say anything, at first. He simply folds his arms and waits.

"What are you doing walking around in the middle of the night, Dobe?" Sasuke demands. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Naruto sighs, suddenly not caring if Sasuke saw how tired he felt. "I should be asking you that." He grumbles, under a yawn.

"Yeah well you look terrible." Sasuke tells him. "Go home and sleep."

"Psh." Naruto snickers, half-heartedly as Sasuke's command. "Really? I hadn't thought of that..." He says, sarcastically. "Thanks for your input."

Sasuke growls at Naruto's attitude. "What's your problem?!" He barks.

"My problem?!" Naruto shakes his head, a humorless chuckle breaking from his throat. "I'm not the one obsessing over something that's none of my business."

Sasuke twitches, furiously. _So now he's messing with me?! He's practically waving the answer in front of me! _ "None of my business?!" Sasuke snaps. "Your my teammate!"

"That doesn't make it your concern." Naruto mumbles, quietly.

_What's the matter with him? One minute he's yelling and the next I can barely hear what he said. Something's up._ "Naruto..." Sasuke takes a step forward, lowering his voice again as he tries to calm his anger. "I'm not trying to invade your privacy or anything."

"Then leave it alone." He mutters.

"Why? What could possibly be so bad that you're reacting like this?"

Naruto sighs, loudly and runs a hand through his messed up hair.

Only then does Sasuke notice the dirt on his clothes, as well as a scrape on the boy's arm. As if he'd slid down a brick wall... "What have you been doing? You're filthy."

Naruto seemed taken aback by the sudden change in topic. "I uh...fell asleep in an alley way..." He admits, sheepishly.

"You...what?"

Naruto laughs in embarrasment, scratching the back of his neck. "I guess I got a little worked up earlier and uhh...kind of had a little panic attack or something..."

Sasuke's mouth was literally hanging agape. "You had a panic attack? And passed out?"

Naruto frowns. "Well when you say it like that..."

The raven groans and snatches Naruto's wrist, tugging him forward.

"What the-" Naruto begins to protest but stops when Sasuke flashes him a warning glare.

"You idiot..." He growls. "You could have gotten hurt."

"Pff, I just fell asleep..."

"You passed out, there's a difference."

"Where are we going?"

"My place."

Naruto recoils. "Why?"

"Your arm." Sasuke motions to the red stain on his arm that was beginning to darken as more blood trickled from the cut. "It'll get infected if you don't wash it."

"Uhh..." Naruto stumbles along after Sasuke. _What the heck was that? Weren't we just fighting? And now he's trying to help me?_ "Yeah...okay." He says. "But it's pretty late, right? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"It's fine." Sasuke insists. "I couldn't sleep anyway."


	7. Jinchuuriki

_**Chapter Seven**_

A metalic squeak emerges from the faucet when Sasuke turns the handle. For a split second, there's deep gurgling sound before water begins to gush into the porceline bowl. He lowers a washcloth under the luke-warm flow, just long enough to dampen the rag. After turning the sink off again, he pops open the medicine cabinet and rumages through the shelves to find something to clean Naruto's wound. He comes away with a bottle of anti-bacterial cream.

_Hmph, I guess that'll work..._ He smears some of the pale-pink cream onto the rag before exiting the bathroom.

_**-xXx-**_

__Naruto was seated on a stool in Sasuke's kitchen, the boy's cerulean eyes were dimmed and there were shadowy bags under them. As if in a trance, he slowly turned the seat back and forth, his feet just barely brushing over the cold floor.

"Here." Sasuke interrupts Naruto's brooding by tossing the sopping wet washcloth onto his shoulder. "Clean your cut with that."

Naruto frowns and parts his lips to protest but a yawn stops him.

"And afterward, you can crash on my couch if want. You look like the walking dead when you don't sleep."

"Mmkay..." Naruto mumbles before rolling up his sleeve and pressing the cloth to the wound. He winces as the medicine stings his flesh.

"What the..."

Naruto looks up to find Sasuke hovering only a few inches away, his eyes locked intently on Naruto's arm. "W-what now?!" He cries out.

"Your cut..." Sasuke moves Naruto's hand away and removes the cloth.

"What...?" Naruto wonders, curiously. "Is it infected already?"

"No...it's almost healed."

"Huh?!" Surely enough, the wound was only half the size it had been minutes ago. Only a tiny sliver of red was visible within the pink sheen of new skin.

"How is that possible...?" Sasuke breathes.

"I..." _It's the Fox again...his chakra heals me faster than normal. _"I've always been a fast healer. You should know that by now..."

"A fast healer, yeah...but that's...inhuman."

Naruto flinches at unintentionally cold-hearted term. _Inhuman..._

"Naruto..." Sasuke backs off slightly. "You're the only person I haven't asked yet-"

"Yeah well don't get your hopes up."

"Listen!" Sasuke snaps. He stands up, now towering over Naruto who was still steated on the revolving chair. "I have the right to know what's going on with you."

"What makes you say that?"

Sasuke growls in frusteration. "You're my teammate."

"So?"

"So, if I'm going to be going on missions with you, I need to know that you're not a threat!" He shouts.

_A threat?!_ Naruto stands up, pushing away from Sasuke and stalking halfway across the room before turning back and saying, "I'd never do anything to hurt you or anyone!"

"Not intentionally." Sasuke mumbles. "But, whatever happened back in the woods, that wasn't you. That much I'm sure of."

"Huh...?"

"It's like you said. _You_ would never hurt us. But there's something...inside of you that obviously doesn't feel the same way."

A shiver runs up Naruto's spine. _He's starting to figure it out..._

Sasuke can't help but notice the look of horror on Naruto's face. "I'm right, aren't I?" He demands. "That really _wasn't_ you. It was something else."

_It?_ Naruto frowns but doesn't say anything. _I'm getting nowhere like this...maybe I should just..._ "Were you scared?" He asks, suddenly.

"What?"

"When I attacked Eiji, were you scared?"

Sasuke hesitates. "No, not really." He says. "More...shocked than scared."

"But you were frightened, right?"

"Um, a little a guess. Why?"

Naruto nods as if he's just passed a test. A sad smile creeps onto his face. "That's why everyone hates me, you know. Because of this..." A hand slowly moves to his stomach.

Sasuke knew what he was talking about. It seemed like the majority of the village despised Naruto for little or no reason. Sure, he was a goofball and prankster, but Sasuke was well-aware that was for attention. Probably because negative attention was better than being ignored. "Because of what?" He urges. He was getting close, he could feel it.

Naruto sighs. "You'll hate me too, you know."

"Try me!"

"I..." He goes quiet again. But just then, a hysterical kind of laugh breaks from him. "I don't even know how to say it..."

Sasuke waits, impatiently for Naruto to build up his nerve. Just when he thinks he'll never say it, Naruto gulps in a big breath and says-

"Pervy Sage says it's called a 'Jinchuuriki'."

"What...?" Sasuke leans forward. "What's that?"

"That's what I am." Naruto mumbles. "It pretty much means someone who has...something sealed inside them." He flinches, waiting for some kind of response. The only one he recieves is an unreadable stare from Sasuke.

"So...there's something sealed within you."

Naruto nods. _I can't believe I'm doing this...but he'll never give up, otherwise._ "Yeah..."

"So...what is it?"

"It's..." Naruto bows his head, unwilling to say it out loud. "It's forbidden to talk about this, you know. I'm breaking the rules just by telling you this much."

"So why are you?"

Naruto laughs, nervously again. He felt like one big bundle of nerves at this point. "Because I'm...hoping I'm wrong..." He could feel tears stinging his eyes, but he wasn't entirely sure why. "I'm hoping I'm wrong...and that you won't hate me...even if you know what I am..."

Sasuke's expression, which had been stiff and emotionless previously, softens a bit at hearing this. "Naruto-"

"The thing that's sealed inside me is the Nine Tailed Fox."


	8. Friends

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**A/N: Revenge is sweet XD But oh-so hard to write LOL Also! LAST CHAPTER! *Woot woot* I hope you like it!**_

"Wha...?" Sasuke takes a small step back, his eyes staring at the floor between his feet. "How is that...how is that possible? The Fourth Hokage...killed the Nine Tails, didn't he?"

Naruto shakes his head, slowly. "No, he sealed it inside me...to contain in."

"So...everything the elders have told us..."

"It's a lie...but only to protect me." Naruto mutters. "If everyone knew-"

"They'd hate you even more."

He nods. "They'd probably try to kill me." _One of them already did..._ He shudders at the thought of Mizuki.

Sasuke shakes his head. His expression was blank once again, but Naruto could see the wheels turning in his teammate's head. "So the Nine Tailed Fox...is inside you?"

"Yes." _We've been over this already! _Naruto desperately wanted Sasuke to say something, anything beside going over that same fact again and again. He needed to know he'd been wrong and that Sasuke didn't hate him like everyone else did.

"But...that doesn't necessarily explain what happened with Eiji." Sasuke suddenly tells him. "If it's locked within you, like you say, why did you...?"

"I guess it's because..." Naruto hesitates, trying to remember what Jiraiya had told him and what he's experienced, firsthand. "When I get really...emotional or hurt the Fox just kinda...comes out. He's sort of able to control me." The blonde explains in a low voice.

"It can control you..." Sasuke nods. _Yeah, that makes sense. Naruto had been in bad condition so the Nine Tails took advantage so it could- _"Wait. Hang on a second."

When Naruto looks up again, Sasuke a tiny bit closer. His coal black eyes locked on Naruto's. They showed no fear or disgust. Only concern.

"What does it want?" The raven asks him in a hushed voice.

"What do you mean?"

"The Nine Tails. Why does it try to control you?"

"He-" Naruto stops. He'd never gave it much thought. "I don't...I guess I don't know..."

Sasuke's eyes widen then. "You don't think it wants to break out...do you? Can it do that?!"

"Huh?!" Naruto recoils, his heart giving one, powerful slam against his ribs. "N-no way! You don't think that..." _Is that really why? The Fox gives me chakra and controls me so he can..._ Naruto suddenly felt sick. All this time he'd been playing along, letting the kyuubi give him all the chakra he wanted. But, all along, it was just so the demon could break loose!

Naruto sinks back onto the chair, suddenly feeling a little dizzy with all the stressful information swimming around in his head.

"Naruto? Are you okay?" Sasuke asks. "You look sorta pale."

"I'm so stupid..." Naruto breathes. "And here I thought I was making the best of the situation, using his chakra...but I was playing right into a trap..."

Sasuke's expression tightens when he hears this. _He really has no idea what the extent of this could be...But look at him.._

Naruto looked almost deathly pale all of a sudden. His eyes were distant as he tried to wrap his head around what he'd just discovered. It had been a very, very long and stressful day for him.

"Okay, you know what?" Sasuke says with a sigh. "We can talk about this tomorrow." He stretches his arms above his head, trying to act casual about ending the conversation. "But, I was serious before, you look terrible, Dobe. Go to sleep."

Naruto doesn't respond. He only stares wide-eyed at the floor. _He's..._

"The offer still stands for you to sleep here, if you want." Sasuke tells him. And, with that, he dissapears into his bedroom.

_Sasuke is still..._ The corner of the Jinchuuriki's mouth twitches, slightly. _I was wrong...Sasuke doesn't...hate me._ A gleeful laugh escapes his throat when those words sink in. _I was wrong...!_

_**-xXx-**_

__The next morning, Sasuke rolls over in his bed. His eyes still glued shut from sleep as he kicks off the heavy blankets. A big yawn rolls out of his mouth as he stretches. The teen sits up and rubs his eyes, finally managing to pry them open.

_Hm...I feel like I'm forgetting something..._ He shrugs and stands up, stretching again just for good measure. Then he walks out into the hallway and stumbles toward the kitchen.

Immediately, he notices the difference. And it makes his expression go sour.

Right there, curled up on his couch, was the Dobe. A thin trail of drool connecting his mouth with the arm of the sofa. One arm was dangling over the edge, his fingers just an inch above the floor.

Sasuke frowns, his fist itching connect with the blonde's head. But then-

_The thing that's sealed within me is the Nine Tailed Fox..._

_Oh yeah..._ Sasuke suddenly remembers. His gaze scans the small boy sleeping on his couch. The blonde's sleeping face was peaceful, completely without worry. At that moment, he looked more like the Naruto Sasuke new than anything he'd seen in the last few days. _The Fourth Hokage did a good job selecting who he'd seal the Fox inside of...there's no one as un-threatening as this goofball..._

Just then, a devilish smile creeps onto his face. He leans down and jerks Naruto awake.

"Huh...?" Naruto mumbles, tiredly. "Sas'ke?"

The raven's face was hard, almost angry. "What are _you_ doing here?" He demands.

Naruto sits up, eyeing him curiously. "I-"

"What makes you think I want _you_ here?" He takes a step back and folds his arms, glaring hatefully at Naruto.

"Wha...?" The blonde's face turns horrified for just a split second before Sasuke coils back his arm...and flicks Naruto in the forehead. "S-Sasuke...?" Naruto reaches up to rub the spot of his head. His expression was now completely confused.

The raven smirks. "That's for pranking us last week..."

Naruto's eyes widen in realization. "Sasuke...you..." He bows his head, a growl in his voice. "_YOU JERK!_" He cries. "That was _not_ funny!"

"Yeah? Neither was your prank."

Naruto flinches. "I said I was sorry..."

Sasuke grunts. "Well now we're even."

"Tsk, yeah whatever."

"So..." Sasuke begins, slowly. "I do have one more question...about the whole Nine Tailed Fox thing."

"Shoot." Naruto tells him, motioning for him to ask it.

"Do anyone else know?"

Naruto hesitates. "Yeah, I think anyone who was an adult when the Fox attacked knows-"

_Like Kakashi and Iruka..._

"-But anyone younger than that has no clue. Beside you and me, of course."

Sasuke nods, thoughtfully. "Alright."

Naruto shifts, uncomfortably before asking, "You won't tell anyone, right?"

"Tell anyone what?" Sasuke says, innocently.

Naruto smirks. "Very funny, Teme."

"Seriously, though. I'll keep it to myself." He promises.

"Thanks."

Sasuke shrugs and walks to the other end of the kitchen and begins rumaging through a cabinet. "Eh, don't mention it." He says. "It's not that big of a deal, anyway."

The other boy's mouth drops open. "Not a big...deal?"

"Sure."

"Sasuke..." Naruto begins. "This is the same Nine Tailed Fox that killed countless people...he destroyed a part of the village!"

"Well now it sounds like you're trying to talk me into hating you." The Uchiha mumbles without looking at him.

Naruto scowls at him. "Be serious for a second!"

"Okay, fine!" The raven spins around to face him and folds his arms. "What're you trying to say?!"

"Just that...I don't understand how you can be so...cool about this!"

Sasuke sighs, deeply. As if this entire conversation was wearing on his patience. "Well I just figured you're the same loser as before." He says, coldly. "Nothing has changed. So why should I change the way I act around you?"

Naruto lowers his head. "Why...why're you so...?" There was a kind of sad expression on his face. Which confused Sasuke immensely.

"Because you're my friend."

A jolt goes through Naruto at hearing those words.

"And anyone who would hate you because of something that isn't even your fault...is a bigger moron than you."

The corner of the blonde's lips twitch slightly. His shoulders quaking with silent laughter. "Ha...haha..."

"What's so funny?" Sasuke asks, suspiciously.

"It's just...I never thought you, of all people, would be the one to accept me..."

"Well, you're not the only one who finds it weird that I can understand where you're coming from."

"Friendship is strange..." Naruto mutters, still laughing quietly to himself.

"You can say that again." Sasuke agrees. "Anyway, we should get to practice. We're already late as it is."

"Yeah."

_**-xXx-**_

__A deep, aggrivated sigh escapes from Sakura's throat. She and Kakashi were the only two to arrive at Team 7's meeting place by the bridge. And they'd been waiting for almost twenty minutes now.

"What could _possibly_ be taking them so long?!" She groans, irritably.

"I don't know." Kakashi responds, dully. "Maybe they had a slumber party and overslept." He jokes.

Sakura laughs, as if the concept of the two boys getting along, was completely absurd. "Yeah, that'll be the day!" She says with a roll of her eyes.

Just then, Naruto and Sasuke come jogging up the hill and into their view. The blonde smiles, apologetically at them. "Sorry we're late." He tells him.

"Yeah, yeah." Sakura says, eyeing them curiously. "Let's just get to training! We don't have all day, you know!"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto asks her.

"We have a mission this afternoon." She chirps, happily. "C-rank."

Naruto visibally brightens and runs to the front of the group, forcing Sakura to hurry to keep up with him. As the two chatter, gleefully about the chances of a fight, Kakashi slows his steps to fall in next to Sasuke.

"So, did you find out what you needed to know?" He asks, cryptically.

Without even glancing at his teacher, Sasuke smirks and says, "Yeah, I think I did."

"And?"

"And I'm fine with it. I don't see why I wouldn't be."

Suddenly, Naruto spins around and motions for Sasuke to hurry up. "C'mon slow poke! Or else we'll leave you behind!"

Sakura giggles and playfully punches Naruto on the head.

With a half-hearted sigh, and a poorly contained grin, Sasuke picks up the pace to catch up with his friends. "Don't push your luck, Dobe..."

_**A/N: Yeah, strange way to end it I know. But there you have it! I hope you enjoyed! :D**_


End file.
